A 15-year-old juvenile, who is not yet old enough to obtain a driver’s license, led Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a 100-mile-per-hour pursuit in a stolen pickup truck late Thursday night.
According to the SCSO, deputies pursued the teenage driver for 16 miles before realizing he was a child. During the chase, one deputy’s patrol car collided with another motorist.
The chase began at 10:43 p.m., when a deputy noticed a stolen black Chevrolet Silverado on Highway 101 near Baker Avenue.
“A high-speed pursuit ensued, with the Silverado reaching speeds between 30 and 100 mph. Deputies did not know the driver’s identity. Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety officers and Petaluma Police assisted by deploying spike strips. The strips successfully deflated the truck’s tires, forcing it to slow and come to a stop in Petaluma,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Juan Valencia wrote.
Deputies executed a high-risk stop and transported the juvenile to Sonoma County Juvenile Hall. The juvenile driver, who has a criminal record from a previous stolen car case, was arrested on charges of felony evasion, possession of a stolen vehicle, and probation violations.
During the chase, a deputy activated lights and sirens when the police car collided with another vehicle on Highway 116 and Stony Point Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Both the deputy and the other driver were transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The California Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation into the collision,” Valencia wrote.
“Vehicle pursuits are inherently dangerous. We continually evaluate the public’s safety in light of our duty to apprehend suspects,” Valencia wrote.
